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Factory Racing Hangs Ten at Surf City CX

October 28 — 2015

Another weekend, another crushed course, and mucho medals for Santa Cruz Factory Racing!

The team of Santa Cruz Bicycle employees and friends of the factory stuck around town and took on the first round of the Surf City Cyclo-X Series, held Sunday October 26 at Harbor High School in Santa Cruz, CA.

With a mix of dusty, eucalyptus-lined single track, wicked descents, and tricky obstacles and switchbacks, it was one the toughest courses the team has seen in the 2015 season. A few brief straight-aways allowed riders to open up, but the course was definitely not roadie friendly, with everyone from the pros on down taking dabs and diggers.

“The people that design the course, they’re mountain bikers and they like hard courses,” explained Scott Chapin, who took fifth in Elite Men with his new single speed Stigmata. “It’s [the race] nice because it is so close and local; you can just ride your bike over here and do the race.”

Despite a slew of crashes, a few mechanicals, and plenty of tired racers, the team triumphed, reaching the podium in Elite Men, Single Speed Women, and C Men.

Justin Robinson, as always, led the charge Sunday and finished second in Elite Men. One of the few riders on the course who cleaned every barrier and the only rider to look good doing it, Robinson made the race leader work for the gold. “There were a lot of turns, but that’s really good for me. I tend do real well [when there are turns] and I can corner well and that’s how I was able to hang on to Tobin [first place finisher] for as long as I did,” said Robinson.

Chris Seymour and Zach Wick also made a run at the podium in Elite Men. Wick finished 20th followed by Seymour in 34th. There were also newcomers racing Sunday, with Ian Dick and Bo MacArthur taking on C Men. Dick finished 17th.

“It’s [cyclo-cross] a lot more sustained pain,” Bo MacArthur said after his race. Although MacArthur is no rookie to the ProGRT Downhill circuit or the California Enduro Series, cross is a whole new beast. The humble hucker still powered to second in C Men aboard his Bronson. “Enduro you can take the transfers easy, and then go really hard for five or six minutes, but with this you have to go hard the entire time.”

It wouldn’t be a race weekend without Amanda Schaper, Aaron Cole, and Kyle Harder. Schaper, also aboard a brand spanking new single speed Stigmata, finished first in Single Speed Women, and, along with Captain Chapin, blew away the competition in the costume race. Cole took 16th in C Men and Harder finished 19th in B Men. Steve Chae briefly came out of retirement to race Master Men C 35+ and finished 9th.